POLICE are hunting a man who went on a massive spending spree with a fraudulent credit note and a conman targeting landlords nationwide.

The man pictured above coming out of the Curry's store in Blackpool has been touring shops across the north west and UK using the credit note to buy electrical goods, vouchers and top-up cards worth more than £3,500.

Meanwhile, officers from Avon and Somerset are hunting another man believed to have swindled landlords out of tens of thousands of pounds.

The second man steals chequebooks and then uses them to pay landlords for food and accommodation before moving on.

He is thought to have targeted people in Manchester, as well as Somerset, Dorset, Oxfordshire, Kent, Humberside, Gloucestershire and parts of Yorkshire and Wales.

Det Sgt Dave Trotter, from Avon and Somerset Police, said: "Once he gets the confidence of the landlord, he steals if the opportunity arises, taking cash, chequebooks and jewellery.

Investigating

"He then moves on to the next pub or hotel and continues his trail of crime.

"We are investigating hundreds of crimes. One chequebook alone has resulted in £10,000 fraudulent use and at one pub, he ran up a bar bill of £120 in one night."

Pc Alisa Rutter, investigating the shop fraudster, is urging anyone who recognises his picture to get in touch as soon as possible.

Among stores which have fallen for his scam so far are Dixons in Manchester's Arndale Centre, targeted at the start of February, The Link in Bolton and the Trafford Centre.

The pub trickster is described as white, 6ft 1in, speaking with a strong Yorkshire accent, normally clean-shaven, with receding, thinning hair sometimes dyed.

Anyone with information about the man in the picture is asked to contact police in Preston on 01772 209155 or 433561. Those with information on the second man can call 01275 818181 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.